Framingham Heart Study

(Newser) - Happiness is contagious and spreads through social networks in much the same way the flu does, says a landmark new study that followed the fate of 4,700 people over 20 years. The research shows that a person's happiness can lift the mood of loved ones, neighbors, and even strangers...

(Newser) - New research shows people quit smoking not as individuals but in complex social clusters, each strongly influencing the others. Friends, spouses, relatives, and other social contacts all exercise an overwhelming sway over individual decisions to quit. The study covered 58,000 people from 1971 to 2003, the New York Times ...